The S&P 500 notched a closing record of 7,798.99, gaining 0.65%, as more evidence of moderating inflation reinforced bets the Federal Reserve will refrain from raising interest rates next month. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.81% to 26,803.03, while the Dow added 69.72 points to 53,839.99. Energy tumbled on lower demand, with Brent crude shedding more than 2% to $87.07 and WTI sliding to $81.25.
→ Retail earnings and employment data next week—labor market strength will be critical for Fed rate-pause thesis.
→ Workday acquisition talks with Silver Lake—timing and deal terms could reshape enterprise software valuations.
→ Oil demand trends amid ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions—any geopolitical escalation could quickly reverse today's crude slide.